Why I rejected request to visit Tinubu – Bode George

A former deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olabode George, has confirmed that a meeting did hold between him and some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The APC delegation, led by Retired Justice Isola Olorunmibe, also included the leader of the Governance Advisory Council in Lagos State, Tajudeen Olusi, among others.

According to George, an ardent critic of President-elect Bola Tinubu, he couldn’t turn down their request for a meeting because of his respect for Olorunmibe.

He told our The Punch, “They were led by Papa Olorunmibe, a 94-year-old man. In Yoruba land, such a man cannot say he wants to come to my house and I will say no. It’s not done in my culture. There were other elders from the PDP.”

On the purpose of the meeting, the PDP chieftain said the delegation came to apologise to him over past issues and seek his support for the President-elect.

George said he, however, turned down the request to visit Tinubu, saying he couldn’t do such because his party was in court challenging the President-elect’s victory at the February 18 presidential election.

He said, “First of all, they came to apologise for whatever they had done in the past, and I said I have moved on and have nothing against his person. We may disagree on policies but we must not be disagreeable. Secondly, they wanted me to pay him a courtesy call. I was like, what are you talking about? I am the man representing South-West in the national confines of our party and I’m a life BoT member. So, how do I add that together? We are still in court, how do I now say I want to go and greet him? Greet him for what? What will my party and my people think about me? Once we finish at the court, then we’ll know what to do. The PDP members and I present were very clear in our mind that going to him now will be a bit suicidal. I’m still an irridentist PDP man.”